Until I Saw Your Smile by J.J. Murray Read Free Book Online Page B

tax purposes, Matthew shook his head.
    â€œThis is some nice stuff,” she said.
    â€œIt’s okay,” Matthew said. “You are doing me a big favor.”
    Good-bye, color.
    Back at the apartment, he took a long nap.
    He didn’t dream of Joy.
    He woke in darkness, showered and shaved, put on some jeans, a black sweater, and his bomber jacket. Then he walked to Marcy Avenue and took the J Train to Jamaica Center, counting twenty-three stops. He sat among Italian girls flashing their nails, Latinas shouting into cell phones, Chinese ladies placing their children on seats in dense-pack formation, Hasidic Jews gripping poles, and hipsters swaying even when the train stopped. These are real New Yorkers, Matthew thought. This is the New York everyone should experience.
    As he left the platform and walked toward King Park, he heard shouting to the east. He wandered a few blocks to 153 rd Street and saw barricades manned by police and a man screaming, “Stop and frisk has got to go!”
    Oh no.
    This isn’t a block party.
    It’s a protest.

Chapter 4
    M atthew moved closer to a boisterous crowd, with signs proclaiming, “No justice, no peace!”
    For whom? For what? Aside from a few Occu-parties a few years ago, Williamsburg has been deathly quiet. Nothing has happened in Queens since some Sikhs fought with cricket bats and a sword at a Sikh temple. Wasn’t the last “Stop and Frisk” protest back in 2011?
    He stood next to a short black woman standing on the edge of the crowd. “Excuse me, but what is he protesting?”
    â€œThe usual,” she said. “Police brutality. Stop and Frisk. Racial profiling. He’ll be done in a minute. He’s already wrecked and wants to get his drink on like the rest of us.” She smiled up at Matthew. “Just another excuse for someone to throw a block party, huh? I ain’t complaining, though.” She held up her cup. “You should get you some.”
    â€œI will. Where . . .”
    She pointed to a keg in a garbage can filled with ice, and Matthew filled a red cup to the top.
    â€œStop and frisk ain’t worth the risk!” the man shouted, and then he stumbled off the little stage as a DJ started playing some loud stomp music.
    Matthew returned to the woman and sipped his beer. “Is that the end of the protest?”
    â€œThe protest never really ends around here, but yep.” She squinted up at him. “What brings you over here from Brooklyn?”
    She has a good ear. All those earrings studding her ears must amplify speech. “How do you know I’m from Brooklyn?”
    â€œI can hear, can’t I?” she said. “You ain’t from around here. Why you really here?”
    â€œAdventure.”
    As he drank, he drank her in. She had brown skin, short reddish hair, and a few tattoos leaking out from her arms, neck, and chest. She’s definitely thick in those jeans, but why is she wearing sunglasses on her head? This is another fashion statement I don’t understand. Matthew did, however, like what he saw. This is one rugged yet feminine woman.
    â€œYou came to the right place for adventure.” She peered around him. “You ain’t with anyone?”
    â€œNo. I’m a free man.”
    â€œEvery man here is a free man once he gets his drink on.” She licked her lower lip and smiled. “Why you free, Brooklyn?”
    â€œMy girlfriend left me yesterday for a man named Carlo, who took her on a plane to the Dominican Republic.”
    â€œDamn,” she said. “That’s harsh.”
    Do I mention the condiments? No. Maybe later. “Tell me about it.”
    She stepped closer. “I’m Jade.”
    I’m not “Matty” tonight. “Matt.”
    â€œWhat you do, Matt?” Jade asked.
    â€œI’m a lawyer.”
    Jade narrowed her eyes. “What kind of lawyer are you?”
    â€œI have my own